Dr. Jim Nicolai recently held a signing for his new book, Integrative Wellness Rules: A Simple Guide to Healthy Living, here in Tucson. Thank you to everyone who came out to Barnes and Noble on Saturday to show their support and meet the author!

Here's what Dr. Jim had to say: "Health and wellness is so powerful when it's a shared journey. Integrative Wellness Rules is all about telling stories of what's helped me get and stay healthy. It was fabulous to be able to do that with the Tucson community. Thanks so much to Barnes and Noble—they did a great job—and it was an awesome experience being able to laugh and share with people that health does not have to be complex or difficult to manage. It can be quick and dirty..."

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As we head into Cold and Flu season, coming into contact with germs is inevitable—it can’t be avoided, no matter how hard we try.  We absolutely need to wash our hands and cough into our sleeves, to limit the spread of these nasty bugs, but what are some ways to shore up immunity during this time when all kinds of infections seem to rear their ugly head?

Personally, this is a time for to open up the medicine chest and shore up my immune system.  Here are 5 tips for entering the cold and flu season to keep my body resilient during this time.

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Thank you.

We say these words all too often, frequently without thinking or feeling.

Most of us know that being grateful is something we should be doing, but what if expressing gratitude actually translates to improved health?  Research is beginning to show just how healthy this practice might be.

Dr. Robert Emmons is professor at the University of California-Davis, and one of the leading scholars investigating the healthy benefits of gratitude.  He describes the first major studies of this subject in his book Thanks!  How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier.  Dr. Emmons’ research has found that grateful people can increase their “set point” for happiness by as much as 25 percent, sustaining it for several months. 

The evidence for this is groundbreaking. 

It contradicts the widely held notion that people’s set points for happiness are fixed and unchanging.   Not only are these set points flexible, but some say gratitude has done more for them than improve things by just a bit.  Individuals have gone so far as to say that the regular practice of gratitude has dramatically changed their lives, impacting family, friends and everyone else around them. 

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